Therapy advice to put in your pocket and take with you.

The tree is down, the decorations put away. Nostalgic music is gone for another season. Stresses and conflicts we had late last Fall got put on hold, shoved under the rug so we could get through family holiday events without tension, but now those holidays are over. In their place are the added pounds, the holiday credit card bills, and the pressure to set a personal goal we probably won’t keep. Welcome to January.

This can be a dangerous time for mental health. People set deadlines (just gotta get through the holidays) and feel pressure to make big changes at the first of the year. Three big things I see in January in counseling are divorces filed, alcohol relapses because the vacation time at work started over, and the winter blues. I also hear about financial overwhelm from the bills, dread over not knowing what a new year will bring, fatigue and feeling unmotivated.

I don’t bring up these things to be a downer, but to point out that if you feel these things you are not alone. And you don’t have to face it alone. Help is available through counseling or support groups, work EAP (employee assistance), church groups, financial counseling, and even online support. There are books on these subjects and 24 hour hotlines around. If you feel overwhelmed, please reach out. If you have a friend or family member who struggles with mental health issues, please reach out to them. This is not something you have to face alone, and it is not something that will last forever.